Weatherproof louverf



Nov. 29, 1966 E. H. JOHNSON 3,287,870

' WEATHERPROOF LOUVER I Filed April 8, 1964 INVENTOR [mm/a0 A! (/0/760/1/ United States Patent 3,287,870 WEATHERPROOF LOUVER Edward H. Johnson, Maumee, Ohio, assignor to The American Warming & Ventilating, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 358,230 6 Claims. (Cl. 52473) This invention relates to a louver and more particularly to a louver for an air intake or the like wherein one side of the louver is exposed to outside weather conditions.

A louver according to the invention is designed primarily to dispose of water from rain or wet snow, for example, which is deposited on the louver blades. For this purpose, each of the louver blades has a lip extending longitudinally of the lower edge, thereby forming an eavestrough-like channel which collects water flowing down the blades and directs it to vertical channels or downspouts located in the side frame members of the louver. The water can then be collected on the lower frame member from which it can either spill uniformly down the building below the louver or drain through a suitable drain opening in the lower frame member, which opening communicates with the interior of the building. The downspouts or vertical channels are formed integrally with the side frame members and are located outside the inner edges of the frame so as not to interfere with or restrict in any manner air flow through the louver. This construction also minimizes the overall cost of the louver since the channel is built into the side frame members and even serves the additional function of being a stiffener member therefor.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a louver with an improved water disposal system having the advantages outlined above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation of a louver embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective, with parts broken away and with parts in cross section, of a slightly modified louver embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a louver embodying the invention is indicated at and includes side frame members 12 and 14, upper and lower frame members 16 and 18, and blades 20. As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the blades 20 are extruded with grooves 22 formed in the lower surface by protrusions 24. This makes it possible for the blades to be aflixed to portions of the side frame members 12 and 14 by sheet metal screws extending therethrough and threaded into the ends of the grooves 22. The blades 20 also have upper lips 26 at the upper edges, which lips prevent water from being blown upwardly on the blades by wind and over the upper edges into the building. At the lower longitudinal edges, the blades 20 have lower lips 28 forming eavestroughs or channels 30 which receive water flowing down the blades. Further, the blades 20 also have V-shaped or grooved portions 32 which stiffen the blades and also serve to slow down water flowing down the blades so as to minimize the possibility of the water splashing over the lower lips 28.

The side frame members 12 and 14 are symmetrically opposite and each includes an offset portion 34 which, with a side frame member extension 36, forms vertical channels or passages 38 in an outside edge portion of the 3,287,870 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 side frame member. The extensions 36 extend inwardly beyond the ends of the blades 20 so that the water is not blown by the wind as it flows from the channels 30 to the channels 38. These communicate with the channels 30 of the blades 20 and receive water from the channels 30, with the water flowing down to a collecting surface 40 of the lower frame member 18.

From the surface 40, the water can flow over a lower flange 42 of the lower frame member 18 and uniformly down the wall of the building. The water also can be removed by a suitable drain opening 44 which can be located in a slightly modified frame member 46 of a louver 48, as shown in FIG. 4. The opening 44 can communicate with the interior of the building and specifically with a suitable drain pipe located therein.

With the louver 10 in position, during inclement weather of rain or wet snow for example, water on the surfaces of the blades 20, even in strong wind, will be prevented from flowing over the upper edges of the blades 20 by means of the lips 26. When the wind velocity is lower, the water will flow down the blades, being slowed down by the V-shaped portions 32. The water then is collected by the channels 30 and directed to the vertical side frame channels 38. From here, the water is collected on the surface 40 of the lower frame member 18 where it flows uniformly down the side of the building or else is drained through the drain opening 44 of the modified lower frame member 46.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A louver to be mounted in the wall of a building to pass outside air into the building while keeping water out, said louver comprising a pair of opposed side frame members each having a vertically-extending channel integral therewith in an outside edge portion thereof, a lower frame member having a water-collecting surface communicating with each of said vertically-extending channels, a plurality of louver blades sloping downwardly in a direction toward the outside edge portions of said side frame members, upper longitudinally-extending edges of said blades having water-retaining lips formed thereon,

"ice

lower longitudinally-extending edges of said blades hav-.

ing lips thereon forming water-collecting channels at the lower edges of said blades, said water-collecting channels communicating at each end of each of said blades with said vertically-extending channels, said blades also having V-shaped portions extending longitudinally thereof to retard the flow of water transversely down said blades, and said blades also having means by which they can be afiixed to said side frame members.

2. A louver according to claim 1 wherein said blades are extruded.

3. A louver according to claim 1 wherein said lower frame member has a drain opening therein for directing the water away from said lower frame member.

4. A louver to be mounted in the wall of a building to pass outside air into the building while keeping water out, said louver comprising a pair of opposed side frame members, a plurality of louver blades sloping downwardly in a direction toward the outside edge portions of said side frame members, upper longitudinally-extending edge portions of said blades having water-retaining lips formed thereon, lower longitudinally-extending edge portions of said blades having lips thereon forming water-collecting channels at the lower edge portions of said blades, means communicating with said water-collecting channels for removing and disposing of water collected thereby, said blades also having grooved portions extending longitudinally thereof intermediate said water-retaining lips and said water-collecting channels to retard the flow of water transversely down said blades toward said water-collecting channels, and said blades also having means by which they can be afiixed to said side frame members.

5. A louver according to claim 4 wherein said means for receiving and disposing of water collected by said water-collecting channels comprises vertically-extending water passages formed at the ends of said blades with said side frame members with said water-collecting channels communicating at the ends of said blades with said passages.

6. A louver according to claim 4 wherein said blades are extruded.

References Cited, by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 973,163 10/1910 Burhorn 52473 X 2,480,562 8/ 1949 Ewing 18963 X 2,570,336 10/1951 Fouts 52209 3,001,245 9/1961 Gillett et a1. 52-209 10 3,086,442 4/1963 Waldron 18963 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A LOUVER TO BE MOUNTED IN THE WALL OF A BUILDING TO PASS OUTSIDE AIR INTO THE BUILDING WHILE KEEPING WATER OUT, SAID LOUVER COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF LOUVER BLADES SLOPING DOWNWARDLY IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE OUTSIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, UPPER LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENSING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLADES HAVING WATER-RETAINING LIPS FORMED THEREON, LOWER LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLADES HAVING LIPS THEREON FORMING WATER-COLLECTING CHANNELS AT THE LOWER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLADES, MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID WATER-COLLECTING CHANNELS FOR REMOVING AND DISPOSING OF WATER COLLECTED THEREBY, SAID BLADES ALSO HAVING GROOVED PORTIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF INTERMEDIATE SAID WATER-RETAINING LIPS AND SAID WATER-COLLECTING CHANNELS TO RETARD THE FLOW OF WATER TRANSVERSELY DOWN SAID BLADES TOWARD SAID WATER-COLLECTING CHANNELS, AND SAID BLADES ALSO HAVING MEANS BY WHICH THEY CAN BE AFFIXED TO SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS. 